Cigarette case and dispenser



Aug. 1, 1939. HUTAFF' JR 2,168,214

CIGARETTE CASE AND DISPENSER Filed Nov. 4, 1937 I9 7. Gages: b. Hana-J2.

Momwqs Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE CASE AND DISPENSER George H. Hutaff, Jr., Wilmington, N. 0. Application November 4, 1937, Serial No. 172,795

3 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a cigarette case and dispenser and has for its principal object the provision of a case adapted for holding a plurality of cigarettes and the provision of means for delivering a single cigarette at a time in position to be grasped and removed by the user.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a device of the character described in which a single cigarette at a time is adapted to be delivered through an opening in the case, the position of the cigarette being changed as it is projected through the opening so that an end thereof projects forwardly towards the user and adapted to be grasped to be totally removed from the case.

- A still further object of the invention consists in the provision of a case and dispenser of the character described in which a slidable plunger is provided, saidslidable plunger being normally positioned to support a plurality of cigarettes in the case but adapted to be moved to allow a single cigarette to drop in front of the forward edge thereof and to be discharged through an opening in the case as the plunger is returned to its normal position.

.A further object of the invention resides in the provision of novel means for operating the slidable plunger, said means including a key having a horizontally extending pin engageable with an inclined member or portion carried by or formed as a part of the slidable plunger.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction, and arrangement of parts, described inthe following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

. In the drawing: 45 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the case and dispenser.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation.-

Fig. 3 is a top plan with the cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4- -4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows and Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section on the line II of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows. I I

In carrying forth my inventionl provide a box-like structure or case including a front face I having an elongated opening 2 therein, a rear face 3, end faces 4 and 5, and bottom 6. A foot or supporting structure 1 is formed at each corner 10 and at 8 I have provided a readily removable cover having depending flanges adapted to telescope the front, back and end faces.

Supported on'the bottom 6, by means of a rear flange 9 and side flanges I0 is a frame-like structure indicated generally at II and provided with an opening shown at I2. Bent inwardly from one of the side flanges I0 is an extension indicated at I3 which extends'under the forward edge of the frame I I as shown more particularly in Fig. 4 of the drawing and extending upwardly from the forward edge of the frame II, adjacent the opposite end flange of the frame is the projection I4 having a threaded opening therein to receive the screw I5 which secures a plate I6 to the extension, this plate I6 being received in the opening 2 of the box-like structure or case adjacent one end thereof, as shownmore particularly in Figs. 1 and l of the drawing, to properly position the frame within the box-like structure 30 or case and to normally prevent removal thereof although permitting removalwhen the plate is detached from the extension.

j Positioned on the frame-like structure II an "adapted for slidable movement is a plunger II having at its forward edge, adjacent one side edge,a cut-out portion providing the surfaces l'agand I9, one at right angles with respect to :the other. This cut-out portion is at that side of the frame structure I I having the upwardly directed extension I4. At its rear edge the plunger is provided with the downwardly extending flange 2B which is adapted to engage the rear edge of the cut-outiportion or opening of the frame II to limit the rearward movement of the plunger. The plunger is provided rearwardly of its forward edge with the downwardly directed flanges 2| and 22 which are adapted toengage the forward edge of the opening in the frame-like structure to limit the forward movement of the plunger, the plunger being normally held in its forward position by the coiled spring 23, one end of which is secured to the downwardly directed flange 20 of the plunger while the opposite end is connected to the inwardly directed extension 3 formed on the frame It. Extending upwardly from the top face of the plunger, adjacent that end or edge removed from the cut-out portion of the plunger is a plate 24 having the inclined or beveled edge 25.

Secured to the rear edge of the frame structure H, by means of the screws 26 or other suitable fastenings, is a vertically extending plate 2! which will normally rest against the rear face 3 of the case or box-like structure. Formed as an integral part of the plate 21 and extending downward is a plate 28 having the downwardly directed front flange 29 and end flanges 3|] and 3|, the flange 3| being positioned between the end of the case and the upwardly directed plate 24 carried by the slidable plunger. The flange 3| is also provided with the vertically extending opening 32 for a purpose which will be presently described. It will be noted that the plate 28 overlies a portion of the slidable plunger I! as quite clearly shown in Figs, 3, 5 and. 7 of the drawing.

For operating the slidable plunger I1 I provide the key including the vertically extending portion 33 and horizontal portion 34, this key being slidably mounted on the end of the box-like structure or case by the plate 35 secured to the end of the case by means of the screws 36 and 31. The screw 37, as shown more particularly in Fig, 4

of the drawing, also extending into a threaded erates in the vertically extending opening 32 formed in the depending flange at the end of the plate 28.

Having fully described the detailed construction of my device it is thought that the construction and operation will be clearly understood. I have provided a case or box-like structure in which may be readily placed or removed a framelike structure carrying a slidable plunger and an over-hanging plate which acts as a support and feed for the cigarettes to be held in the case and dispensed. Normally the parts will=be in the position shown quite clearly in Figs. 3, 5 and '7, of

the drawing, and cigarettes will be supported on the inclined plate 28 as well as on the forward portion of the slidable plunger. I have only illustrated a single cigarette a mounted on the slidable plunger When, it is desired to remove a cigarette the operator engages the horizontal portion 34, of the key, and presses downwardly thereon. This lowers the pin or projection 38 with its associated roller 39 and the roller operated against the inclined or beveled surface of the plate 24 forces the plunger |1 rearwardly against the action of the coiled spring 23. This permits the cigarette a to drop down onto the forward edge of the frame I in front of the forward edge of the plunger H. An end of the cigarette, extends behind the upwardly directed portion or extension I4, while the remaining portion thereof extends parallel with the opening 2.

When the key is released the spring 23 will draw the plunger forwardly and the end of the cigarette into engagement with the projection l4. A continued forward movement of the plunger carries that portion of the cigarette which extends parallel with the opening 2 through the opening and turns the same into the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing so that the cigarette extends forwardly of the case or box-like structure in position to be withdrawn by the operator. The cut-out portion in the plunger, which forms the walls or surfaces l8 and I9 permits the cigarette to turn as described and when turning the end of the cigarette engages the wall or surface l8 while the side thereof engages the surface or wall I 9. The operation of the plunger may be repeated to dispense the desired number of cigarettes and it will be particularly noted that the extension l4 cooperates with the plunger in turning the cigarette to project forwardly. When it is desired to remove the operating structure and cigarette supports this may be done by removing the screws 5 and 31. With the screw l5 removed the plate l6 may be removed from the opening 2 and the structure referred to raised and removed as a unit.

be held until finally withdrawn for use.

2. A device ofcthe character described including a case to receive a plurality, of cigarettes and provided with a discharge opening, a plunger slidably mounted in the case for discharging the cigarettes, one at a time, through the discharge opening, an upwardly extending beveled projection carried by the plunger, means overlying the projection for directing the cigarettes onto the plunger and towards the dischargeopening, and a key slidably mounted on the case, said key having a lateral extension engageable with the beveled surface of the plungerprojection for operating the plunger.

V 3. A device of the character described including a caseto receive a plurality of cigarettes and provided with a discharge opening, a readily insertable andremovable unitary structure secured in the case, said unitary structure including a frame, a plunger carried by and slidablerelative to the frame and a member connected to the frame and overlying the upper surface of the plunger, a member detachably connected to the frame and received'in the discharge opening of the case to hold the unitary structure therein against accidental displacement, and" means for operating the plunger to discharge a single cigarette at a time through the discharge opening of the case.

GEORGE H. HUTAFF, JR. 

